The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-20
THE LONDON PANIC
Caused by a False Alarm of
Fire.
ADAMS ARGUMENT.
ImprOving-Mys terious Explosion
in Pennsylvania.
Cause Of the Panic.

LONDON, January 19.-The hall in
Princess Street, Spitalfelds, where the
fatal panic occurred last night, was the
fayorite resort for Jews of that part of
London. Entertainments have been
given there every night for long time
past. Last evening benefit perform
ance was given and the place was
crowded. During The progress OF the
play, asman and a woman quarrelled
in The street outside and near the main
doorway of the hall The man used
violence and the woman screamed.
Her cry was heard by passers-by who
misunderstood and shouted Fire. "
The woman's screams and cries of fire
were heard inside, and at once created
a panic, the audience, numbering 500,
rising in body and rushing
pell nell for the main entrance.
The audience was almost entirely COM
posed Of Jews. The manager of the
Hebrew Dramatic Club which was CIV
ing the entertainment was on the stage
when the panic began. He perceived
tonce there was no good reason for it
and did all in his power to allay the
excitement and to afford all the posi-
Bile facilitiesfor the exit of the people.
| The hall has number of entrances and
he had them all thrown wide open, and
called on the people when they would
not remain to divide and use all the
doorways, but they paid no attention
to him; in fact, many OF them con-
strued the managers earnest appeals
into proof that there was fire. and
these increased their exertions to get
out. The whole crowd, as if with one
impulse, made for the main entrance.
1t happened that among those who first
reached it were a number of women
and children who had been occu-
plying some of the rear seats.
They were overborne by strong
men, who attempted to pass them,
and women and children fell at
the doorway as stumbling blocks. They
tripped up others. who were crushed
down by the rush of the frantic crowd.
Itteek but few minutes to empty the
house. The alarm was so thorough
that not soul among the entire audi
ence refrained from struggling. When
the people, after reaching the street,
asoertained the facts of the situation, a
scene of disorder of another kind en-
sued, caused by the discovery that a
number were missing. Then a rush
back was made. At the main entrance,
however, it was stopped by the police,
who had arrived and assumed control.
Seventeen corpses were found in the
theatre, near the door; they were all
torn, crushed and disfgured. 1t was
found that of the dead twelve Were
women, three were boys. one was girl
and the others men.
The panic was indescribably ruthless
and brutal, although of course not will
full, it being supreme case of everyone
for himself. 1t is stated that number
of infants carried in their mothers
arms, and chung to through the panic,
were also crushed or smothered to
death, and that a number OF others
were fatally injured. The scenes during
the attempt to return of the crowd were
painful in the extreme. The bereaved
remained at the doorways all night,
waiting to have their dead restored to
them, and the lamentations of the
women were heartrending. The police
have been giving number of contra
dictory stories about the cause of the
panic; one statement is that thieves
started the cry, for the purpose of get
ting an opportunity to despol many
rich Jewesses in the hall of the costly
jewels they bore on their persons to the
entertainment.